Recipes you can actually use
Buying a cookbook with only 125 recipes might sound like a waste, but these are recipes you might actually use. Unlike some of the Italian cookbooks I've got, this one doesn't assume that you'll have access to fresh and unusual ingredients, or that an Italian market is down the street stocked with specialty products. About the most difficult ingredient is the amaretti cookies, and for most recipes, those can be omitted, or you could substitute something else. This book is definately produced with an average American kitchen in mind.
And if there is some ingredient you can't get, chances are that you'll be able to figure out something that will be an acceptable substitution.
Recipes range from fast and simple, like crostini, to more complicated dishes like lasagna. You'll find classic sauces like Alfredo along with Giada-style dishes like Eggplant Rollatini, which is her variation of eggplant parmesan.
The only downside to this cookbook is that a lot of the recipes are similar to those from her TV show, and thus are available online. But for me, cookbooks aren't just about finding a particular recipe. I like to read, browse and look for inspiration for upcoming meals. It's a lot more fun doing that than just looking up a multitude of ravioli recipes online and hoping that I pick one that's going to work out. And I'd rather have a cookbook in hand (with pictures and an index and everything that goes with having a real book) than a ream of recipes I've printed from Giada's tv show (although I'll admit I have a few of those, too.)
Along with the recipes, there are sometimes tips, like how to best freeze your uncooked ravioli, or what consistency your pesto should be if you want to serve it on pasta. Things like this make the cookbook just a little more useful, and a little more interesting as well.
So far, Giada's recipes have all worked out for me, and it's a good bet that the others will work out just as well.
![Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes [Hardcover]](https://www4.alibris-static.com/isbn/9781400052585_t.gif)
